Mesco Park Zoo reports record attendance, outlines staffing needs and capital projects after Wild Summer Lights

Mesco Park Zoo and Botanic Garden officials reported strong attendance and revenue tied to this fall’s Wild Summer Lights event and outlined staffing vacancies, upcoming capital work and animal transfers during the advisory board’s October meeting.

Eric Beck, executive director of the zoo, told the Mesco Park Zoo and Botanic Garden Advisory Board that between August and September the zoo saw record months driven largely by Wild Summer Lights and that “we’re already past last year’s total attendance for the year.” Beck said the zoo expects to exceed 200,000 visitors in 2025.

The event alone sold nearly 50,000 tickets, Beck said: “So we actually allowed people to ride the tram for free, so if they had mobility issues,” and later, “it exceeded our expectations … I think we were looking at kind of that 30 to 40,000 tickets sold window, and we crushed that in almost 50,000.” Beck identified gross revenue items for September at about $130,000, and attributed strong gift-shop sales to the event (August gift-shop gross sales roughly $60,000; September roughly $51,000). He said the zoo receives 10% of certain venue partner gross sales once those reports are finalized.

Kristen Comer, director of advancement for the Evansville Zoological Society, credited local partners and the zoo staff and board for the event’s success. “We supported local food trucks, and then we also paid local musicians. They performed every night of the event and that really elevated the experience,” Comer said.

Why it matters: Beck said the event’s attendance and revenue put the zoo on pace for a stronger financial year and should help sustain operations and planned capital improvements. At the same meeting he reported the City of Evansville approved the zoo’s 2026 budget, providing an operating budget of about $6,600,000 and roughly $1,200,000 for capital improvements.

Board members also heard several operational updates. Beck said the zoo currently has three zookeeper vacancies out of a staff of about 20, has an imminent offer for a director of operations position, and will post an animal curator position after the long-time curator transferred to another city department. Beck said hiring processes are underway with at least two offers extended and another candidate being scheduled for interview.

Capital and maintenance projects discussed include replacing one of the two chillers that cool the Amazonia exhibit (Beck estimated that chiller replacement at about $300,000), multiple paving projects and door replacements in Amazonia to meet USDA and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) standards. Beck said sealed quotes for paving will be opened at the Parks Board meeting on Oct. 15 and additional sealed quotes for decking inside Amazonia will be opened in November.

Animal-care news included several births and incoming or outgoing transfers: a newborn howler monkey, a three-banded armadillo pup born in August, a Chinese muntjac fawn, acquisition of Sifaka lemur(s), receipt of more than 100 hellbender eggs shared among other institutions, and planned shipments including a male kudu and a porcupine. Beck said the zoo expects to transfer a female camel back to another facility pending interstate health testing and that one of last year’s armadillos is headed to a Colorado zoo.

Beck also described a veterinary equipment purchase in progress: a thermal imaging camera intended for diagnostic use in detecting inflammation or monitoring wound healing.

Formal board action at the meeting was limited. The advisory board approved the meeting memorandum from Sept. 2, 2025; a member moved to accept and publish the memorandum, a second was recorded, and the motion passed unanimously.

The board adjourned after scheduling staff to open sealed quotes as outlined and receiving no additional new business.

Notes: Remarks about the camel’s prospective transfer referenced The Wilds, a conservation and safari park in Ohio; Beck said the camel’s final destination depends on the outcome of required health testing.